Panamanian president refutes Trump's statement about retaking Panama Canal

PANAMA CITY, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday denied his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's saying about retaking control of the Panama Canal, assuring the public that the waterway continues to be Panamanian.

Mulino made the remarks after Trump told the U.S. Congress Tuesday that his administration "will be reclaiming the Panama Canal" and has already started doing it.

Mulino rejected "on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians this new affront to the truth" and to their dignity as a nation.

The canal "is not in the process of recovery," nor "has it been discussed in our conversations with Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio or anyone else," the president said on social platform X.

Cooperation between the two governments requires a clear understanding of issues of mutual interest, which has nothing to do with the recovery of the canal or tarnishing national sovereignty, said Mulino.

"The Canal is Panamanian and will continue to be Panamanian!" he noted.

In response to remarks made earlier by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that the Panama Canal had waived fees for U.S. Navy vessels, the Panama Canal Authority said Wednesday that no changes have been made to toll rates for transiting the interoceanic waterway.

Trump has been talking about taking over the vital international waterway for months, and several U.S. officials have lately said that Panama agreed to waive fees for U.S. government vessels. ■